Are you experiencing chronic muscle pain? Did you take medications to alleviate the pain, but they're working only for the moment? Well, then you can shift to drug-free treatment options.
Two of the popular treatments for such pain are dry needling and acupuncture. Those who are scared of needles may not like the idea in the first place. However, it's worth giving them a try, especially when professional therapists are involved.
For both dry needling and acupuncture, therapists use stainless-steel, filiform needles to make insertions into your body's pain points. The purpose of these practices is to release tension, thereby reducing the pain.
Although dry needling and acupuncture both use needles, they differ in terms of technique and origin.
While acupuncture is an ancient therapy originating in China, dry needling is a relatively new treatment and is popular in Western countries.
If you're confused about the difference between acupuncture and dry needling, you've come to the right place.
This blog will compare dry needling vs. acupuncture. From the comparison, you can understand their key differences and choose the treatment option that suits your needs.
What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a therapeutic technique used by professional therapists to treat muscle pain, movement dysfunction, and muscle tightness. It is a new practice and is gaining popularity in Western countries.
To perform dry needling, the professional uses solid monofilament thin needles to insert into the body. They insert these needles into trigger points or tight muscle knots that cause pain locally or elsewhere in the body.
The goal of such a technique is to increase blood flow, which helps reduce the pain-causing chemicals in the tissues. Therefore, it relieves individuals from muscle tension and pain.
Depending on the pain levels, the therapist may move the needles or leave them for up to 10-15 minutes. Once the needles are removed, you may experience the pain leaving your body right away.
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine practice that involves inserting needles into specific points along the body's meridians. The idea is quite similar to that of dry needling.
However, in acupuncture, the insertion of needles is intended to stimulate the body's energy, or Qi. When energy flow is blocked, people experience pain. That's what the traditional acupuncture practitioners believed.
To ensure energy flows freely within the body, therapists now make tiny skin insertions.
From alleviating chronic pain to reducing digestive issues, acupuncture works on the body's internal systems.
Dry Needling vs Acupuncture: Key Differences
After understanding what acupuncture and dry needling are, people may wonder about the differences between the two.
Since both treatments use needles to make an insertion in the body, most individuals may not find a lot of differences between the two. Not to mention, dry needling and acupuncture are used to heal pain.
However, the point of similarity only ends with the treatments using needles. Acupuncture is an older practice than dry needling. But that's not the only point of difference.
The purpose of acupuncture and dry needling is also different. Moreover, the needle depth may also vary between the two.
To choose the right treatment for your condition, it is crucial to know the key differences.
The following comparison of dry needling vs. acupuncture will provide a clear picture of the two treatments.
Dry needling and acupuncture differ in their medical origins. The former is a well-known Western medical practice that originated in the 1940s. Physicians like Janet Travell and David Simons initially used hypodermic needles to inject saline into the body.
In the modern scenario, therapists use dry sterile needles in the body to stimulate damaged tissues.
Acupuncture, on the other hand, is a traditional Chinese medicine practice that dates back 3,000 years. Hence, it is much older than dry needling.
The practitioners placed needles into specific points in the body called meridians. They believed that proper energy flow or Qi through the meridians can keep a person healthy.
When the energy is blocked, individuals suffer from diseases.
Keeping the concept in mind, modern therapists use needles to stimulate the energy levels. As a result, your body eliminates pain and discomfort.
The goal of dry needling is to address dysfunctional muscle trigger points. Whether it's near the leg, back, or neck, the therapist will identify the muscle knots and try to loosen them with insertions.
The therapists will stimulate local twitch responses in the body to increase blood flow. While doing so, the body releases endorphins. It thus reduces neuromuscular tension.
Acupuncture focuses on restoring the flow of energy along the meridians. The therapist positions the needles along specific meridians to stimulate nerves and modulate the body's internal systems.
As therapists perform the technique, it helps heal chronic pain. For instance, a person is suffering from migraines due to stress. Since there’s no specific knot in the muscle, the therapists will insert the needles along meridians to boost energy flow and reduce the pain.
Though both treatments involve thin, sterile needles for insertion, the sizes vary. Between dry needling and acupuncture needle size, the former uses a thicker end (0.25mm –0.30 mm).
It allows dry needling therapists to reach deep muscle tissue to elicit a twitch response. When that happens, blood flow improves, and the tight muscle knots are relieved.
For acupuncture, therapists use needles measuring 0.12mm –0.25 mm. Using these thin needles, professionals make insertions into the outermost layer of the skin.
Such an insertion identifies an imbalance in energy levels and helps realign them along the meridians. That way, you can experience overall wellness.
The duration of dry needling and acupuncture is also different. Since dry needling addresses deeper muscles, the session lasts for 20 to 60 minutes. In that time frame, the therapists leave the needles for a few seconds to 20 minutes.
It gives the muscle knots enough time to untangle and reduce pain. For acupuncture, the time for needle retention can be a little longer.
Since acupuncture is performed on the outermost layer of the skin, therapists leave the needles in place for 20-30 minutes. In that duration, the energy flow is restored.
As you feel your body is gaining energy, it will help reduce the physical and emotional challenges, including pain, stress, and insomnia.
Benefits of Dry Needling
After discussing the differences between dry needling and acupuncture, let's examine the effectiveness of dry needling vs. acupuncture.
Dry needling, with its drug-free approach, addresses musculoskeletal issues. The placement of needles in localized areas improves blood flow and helps heal the damaged muscle tissues.
By doing so, it boosts the range of motion and promotes overall well-being. The following are the benefits of dry needling:
- Provides relief from acute and chronic pain, including neck, back, and sciatica pain.
- Releases trigger points to relax tight muscle fibers and restores normal muscle function.
- Stimulates the nervous system by releasing endorphins that help alleviate pain.
- Increases blood flow to local tissues, helping heal strained muscles faster.
- Enhances muscle flexibility and mobility by loosening tight muscle knots.
Benefits of Acupuncture
Like dry needling, acupuncture is also an effective pain treatment. By addressing energy levels, acupuncture offers a holistic approach to treating pain, discomfort, and even hormonal imbalances.
The following are the acupuncture therapy benefits:
- Enhances the blood flow throughout the body to heal long-term pain.
- Supports the body to release anti-inflammatory substances to regulate immune system responses.
- Used as a complementary therapy to treat recurring headaches like migraines.
- Helps balance neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin to improve mood and emotional stability.
- Activates the body's self-healing mechanism through insertion to improve overall energy flow.
What are the risks?
While both dry needling and acupuncture are effective for pain relief, they can pose certain risks. Knowing about these risks will help you stay aware and better prepare for the treatment.
Risks of acupuncture
- Infections due to non-sterile needles
- Mild bleeding
- Bruising
- Achy feeling
Risks of dry needling
- Temporary soreness
- Induces early labor
- Mild bleeding
- Fatigue
These are mild risks associated with acupuncture and dry needling. Other than that, these treatments may not suit people who take blood thinners, as the insertion can cause excessive bleeding. It is therefore recommended that you inform the professionals of your condition, as they can suggest what would be best for you.
Is Dry Needling or Acupuncture Painful?
The idea of inserting needles into the body can be scary. That's why most people wonder whether dry needling and acupuncture are painful. The truth is, it may cause a twitch response within the body, especially with dry needling.
Since this process involves the therapists inserting needles deep into the muscle tissue, it may cause slight discomfort. However, the professionals retain the needles for a few seconds or for about 20 minutes to target the trigger points.
Acupuncture, on the other hand, is considered a painless technique that offers relaxation. It penetrates the skin at the superficial level. As a result, many people may not even feel any ache.
However, you may experience a tingling sensation as the therapists locate the areas where they will place the needles. Once they insert the needles into your skin, you can feel a sense of relaxation. This is why the needle retention time is longer in acupuncture than in dry needling.
Which Treatment Is Right for You?
Acupuncture vs. dry needling, which is better? - People who are hearing about these treatments for the first time may have this question in mind. In reality, none of these treatments is inherently better than the other.
Depending on your condition, professionals generally recommend either therapy. For instance, a person with acute musculoskeletal pain can benefit from dry needling.
It will address the localized muscle knots to release tension. Furthermore, dry needling improves blood flow within tissues, promoting faster recovery and being effective for muscle pain and sports injuries.
For chronic, systematic issues, acupuncture can be a better fit. It involves inserting needles along meridians, which creates a tingling sensation. That sensation often causes relaxation in individuals.
The technique of needle insertion in acupuncture helps restore energy levels. As your body finds a balance in energy levels, it heals ailments such as migraines, digestive problems, stress, and anxiety.
Heal from Pain and Discomfort with Therapeutic Approaches from On The Side Day Spa
If chronic pain is interfering with your daily activities and the medications are not giving optimum results, consider therapeutic approaches. It will help eliminate the root cause of your discomfort.
The most popular of them are dry needling and acupuncture. Both treatments involve thin, sterile needles inserted into the targeted muscle knots or along meridians to relieve pain.
Based on the dry needling vs. acupuncture comparison, if you're still unsure which treatment is effective for you, consult a professional.
Depending on your discomfort, they will recommend a treatment. For localized muscle spasms, dry needling is the way to go. But for systematic issues, like chronic pain or hormonal imbalances, acupuncture is a reasonable solution.
At On the Side Day Spa, our therapists address both musculoskeletal issues and overall wellness. Scheduling an appointment with our professionals, you can alleviate all your discomfort in subsequent sessions.
They will analyze the root causes of the problems and suggest treatments best suited to you. Our wellness retreat also offers acupuncture services to help you heal physically and emotionally.
Explore our traditional therapies to heal from complex ailments and move towards a better life.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is better, acupuncture or dry needling?
Both acupuncture and dry needling are therapies for pain. Depending on your goals, you can choose between dry acupuncture and dry needling. While acupuncture focuses on the whole body, dry needling addresses localized musculoskeletal issues.
2. How many times can dry needling be done?
Ideally, it takes 4 to 6 sessions to achieve sustained results from dry needling. However, if you have acute issues such as muscle pain or a limited range of motion, it may require 1 to 3 visits.
3. Which treatment works faster for muscle pain?
For localized muscle pain, dry needling works faster than acupuncture. The needles used for treatment target muscle trigger points more effectively and release tension. As a result, you can feel the pain leave your body after a few sessions.
4. Are there any side effects?
Acupuncture and dry needling are generally safe when performed by professionals. But they may have certain mild side effects. These include bruising, soreness, and minor bleeding at the insertion sites. Such effects last for 24-48 hours.
5. Is dry needling safe?
Yes, dry needling is a very safe treatment for musculoskeletal issues when performed by professionals. But the insertion areas may experience soreness for a day or two, which eventually goes away.
6. Is acupuncture or dry needling better for migraines?
When it comes to dry needling vs. acupuncture for migraines, their effectiveness depends on the target region. For individuals with migraines caused by muscle tension, dry needling can be helpful. But if the cause of migraine is stress, acupuncture is more beneficial.
